JAKARTA - President-elect of the United States (US), Joe Biden plans to immediately extend travel restrictions on most people currently residing in large parts of Europe and Brazil. Biden is looking to extend the rule after President Donald Trump lifted the terms effective January 26.
Trump signed an order to lift restrictions he imposed early last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was supported by members of the COVID-19 task force and public health officials.
As soon as Trump's order was published, Biden spokesman Jen Psaki said via Twitter: On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 26/1.
Psaki added, "With the pandemic worsening, and (new) more infectious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to lift international travel restrictions."
Until Biden takes office, Trump's order to end the restrictions remains in place. The lifting of travel restrictions also coincides with new COVID-19 test requirements for all international visitors.
Trump will leave the presidency on Wednesday, January 20. Last week, the Head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also signed an order requiring nearly all travelers passing by air to be tested for the COVID-19 virus. Those who test negative will be allowed to enter the US.
Meanwhile, travelers who have suffered from COVID-19 must have evidence of recovering from COVID-19. Trump's lifted restrictions are a ban for all non-US citizens who in the past 14 days have been in Brazil, Britain, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe's Schengen region allowing travel across open borders.
Previously, the US had also imposed a ban on most visitors from Europe since mid-March 2020. At that time, Trump also signed a rule imposing a ban on entry from Brazil.
Psaki added, "... in fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel to further reduce the spread of COVID-19." Biden, after taking office, has the legal authority to reimpose these restrictions.
Last Tuesday, Marty Cetron, director of the CDC's global migration and quarantine division, said that the entry ban was "a strategy to deal with the spread of the virus and must now be actively acted and considered."
But on the other hand, airlines hope testing requirements for travelers pave the way for governments to lift restrictions that reduce travel from some European countries by 95 percent or more. They have pressed senior White House officials on this issue in recent days.
Many government authorities have argued for months that the restrictions no longer make sense given that most countries are not subject to entry bans. Others argue that the US should not lift entry bans because many European countries still block most US citizens.
It was previously reported that the White House was not considering lifting the entry ban for most non-US citizens who were currently in China or Iran. Trump himself has confirmed that he will not lift the ban.
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